The Mishnah
—-fold rites in restoring the healed leper—, or social stage of purification

The Second Stage
— stage after seven days' seclusion— rites to be observed in it —
account of the service

Purification from
Suspicion of Adultery — meat-offering at the purification of a wife suspected of
adultery— meaning of it— priest warns the woman of the danger of
perjury— words of the curse written upon the roll, washed in water from the
laver— mixture, with dust of the sanctuary, drunk by the woman

Regulations as
Given in the Mishnah — what cases alone the Rabbis allowed this trial— the
accused appeared dressed in the Temple— she had to drink the bitter water—
judgments upon the guilty— of this rite shortly after the death of our
Lord— of the Mishnah in recording this fact.

'And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, show
thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto
them.'— 8:4

Festive seasons were not the only occasions which brought worshippers to Jerusalem.
Every trespass and sin, every special vow and offering, and every defilement called them
to the Temple. All the rites then enjoined are full of deep meaning. Selecting from them
those on which the practice of the Jews at the time of Christ casts a special light, our
attention is first called to a service, distinguished from the rest by its unique
character.

The Red Heifer

1. The purification from the defilement of death by the ashes of the red heifer
(Num 19). In the worship of the Old Testament, where everything was symbolical,
that is, where spiritual realities were conveyed through outwards signs, every physical
defilement would point to, and carry with it, as it were, a spiritual counterpart. But
especially was this the case with reference to birth and death, which were so closely
connected with sin and the second death, with redemption and the second birth. Hence, all
connected with the origin of life and with death, implied defilement, and required
Levitical purification. But here there was considerable difference. Passing over the minor
defilements attaching to what is connected with the origin of life, the woman who had
given birth to a child was Levitically unclean for forty or for eighty days, according as
she had become the mother of a son or a daughter (Lev 12). After that she was to offer for
her purification a lamb for a burnt-, and a turtle-dove, or young pigeon, for a
sin-offering; in case of poverty, altogether only two turtle-doves or two young pigeons.
We remember that the mother of Jesus availed herself of that provision for the poor, when
at the same time she presented in the Temple the Royal Babe, her firstborn son (Luke
2:22).